The problem with early deadlines

Stories slated for the "B1" local page have to be filed by 2:30 p.m.

This is a problem when that source or sources you've been hounding all day finally calls back at a not-unreasonable time of day -- but too late to make it into the story. Do I write that they didn't return calls? Refused to comment? Were unavailable?

When it's not clear-cut either way, the best practice would be to print what actually happened, however awkward:

"By 3 p.m., Jane Doe had not returned five messages left on her voicemail, a text message, two pages, three e-mails and two verbal messages her assistant swore up and down to deliver."

Case in point: Tomorrow's story re: Measure D will contain a line referencing that Mayor Bill Bogaard "couldn't be reached for comment" by late afternoon. He did call at 4:30 p.m., and we talked about the ballot measure and other things.